


get off on whiplash

by cjmasim



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, HP Fluff Fest 2020, Sharing a Bed, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:02:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26073868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjmasim/pseuds/cjmasim
Summary: THE QUIBBLER'S 5TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY DRAWINGTWO LUCKY ENTRANTS WILL WIN AN ALL-EXPENSES-PAID WEEK-LONG TRIP TO PORTOFINO, ITALYTO ENTER, RETURN THE FORM BELOW VIA OWL NO LATER THAN APRIL 17, 2004Ginny manages to convince herself that entering the drawing was nothing other than a way to help a friend out by getting the numbers for The Quibbler's entries higher.Naturally, she wins the drawing.
Relationships: Pansy Parkinson/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36
Collections: HP Fluff Fest 2020





	get off on whiplash

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the HP Fluff Fest in response to the prompt: "When character A wins a Quibbler holiday to (location of your choice!) they are horrified to find that their co-winner is character B. They are going to be in each other's company for a whole week!" The title comes from Hate Me (Sometimes) by Stand Atlantic.
> 
> Thank you to G for betaing!
> 
> You can also find a playlist and cover art for this fic [here](https://cjmasim.tumblr.com/post/628353585072259072/lesbianlilyevans-fic-28-get-off-on-whiplash)!

_**THE QUIBBLER'S 5TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY DRAWING** _

_TWO LUCKY ENTRANTS WILL WIN AN ALL-EXPENSES-PAID WEEK-LONG TRIP TO PORTOFINO, ITALY_

_TO ENTER, RETURN THE FORM BELOW VIA OWL NO LATER THAN APRIL 17, 2004_

Ginny sees the ad on the first page of the Quibbler that morning. She's never actually entered one of their drawings before. Even when Luna encouraged her to, Ginny wasn't quite sure she wanted to travel to the Australian desert or northern Finland. She'd been too busy when the holidays to Jamaica and Taiwan had been posted. 

This year, she had promised Luna, Ginny would finally enter the drawing. And promises to Luna aside, the pictures of the quaint seaside village in the ad are breathtaking, and Ginny thinks she might like to go even if she doesn't win the drawing. She probably won't, anyway - Luna had assured her years back that the drawing is entirely random; she doesn't play favorites. 

-

Ginny manages to convince herself that entering the drawing was nothing other than a way to help a friend out by getting the numbers for The Quibbler's entries higher. 

Naturally, she wins the drawing. 

_Ginevra Weasley,_

_We are writing to congratulate you on winning The Quibbler's 5th Annual Holiday Drawing to Portofino, Italy! Your holiday will commence on May 10, 2004, and you will return home on the evening of May 16, 2004. You will travel via portkey with further details to come._

_Because you entered the drawing as a single, you have been paired with a co-winner, Pansy Parkinson._

_We are happy to have you on board!_

_Yours,_

_The Quibbler_

_P.S. I promise the drawing was random!!! -Luna_

Ginny isn't sure she believes her. Pansy Parkinson, of all people - she's being forced to go on a vacation with Pansy Parkinson. She can't put it past Luna to have set them up, even if she claims she didn't. Ginny had never known Pansy particularly well at school. She was just a Slytherin blood purist in the year above her who had a rather antagonistic relationship with Hermione. Still, she had once told Luna in confidence that she thought Pansy was unfairly attractive. That doesn't change the fact that they hate each other, and Luna knows that. 

Oh, this is just bloody brilliant. 

-

**DAY 1**

The portkey location turns out to be The Quibbler's headquarters, with Luna there to see them off. Ginny is the first to arrive.

"Are you quite sure you didn't set this up?" She asks once Luna's face pops into view. 

Luna twirls her hair, looking off to the left as she speaks. "The fates chose the two winners who were meant to go on this holiday."

It's vague, but not any less vague than Ginny is used to hearing from her best friend. "Are you the fates, then? Quite a promotion," she smirks.

Luna looks at her now, smiling back without answering. It's all the answer Ginny needs, and she should be furious, but it's hard to get mad at Luna when she's always so sweet.

Pansy Apparates to the location a moment later, and seeing the familiar pout on her ruby-red lips, Ginny feels some of the anger start to rise. She can't glean much from Pansy's facial expression given the oversized rhinestone-studded sunglasses covering her face, but Ginny imagines her with narrowed eyes scorning the two of them. 

"We should be ready to depart now, yes?" Pansy asks. 

"That is correct," Luna replies. She guides them over to an old book lying on the grass. "Enjoy your holiday!"

Ginny reaches out to grab the portkey at the same time as Pansy, and in a flash, they're in Italy standing just outside of a gorgeous seaside hotel. Pansy walks into the lobby without another word, and Ginny follows her, knowing that she's in for a long ride.

-

Ginny hadn't even considered that they'd be sharing a hotel room, and evidently, Pansy hadn't either. It makes sense, though, so she can't be too upset about it. The Quibbler had likely already booked the room long before picking a winner of the drawing, and _most_ entrants were probably smarter than Ginny and picked someone else to come with them. 

Sharing a hotel room with Pansy isn't ideal, but she can manage. Ginny assumes they'll spend their days doing separate activities and their nights ignoring one another completely. It'll be awkward, but doable. 

Until they get to the room. 

"What the fuck?" Pansy exclaims before Ginny even gets to see inside. Once she does, though, it becomes quickly evident what Pansy is reacting to. 

"Why in Merlin's name is there only one bed?" It should have been obvious to the hotel receptionist that they aren't a couple, considering that they had been standing two meters apart throughout the check-in process.

"I'm going straight back to the front desk," Pansy huffs, turning around and storming off. Ginny follows her, seeing no point in staying in the room when she's about to be reassigned. 

They have to wait in line behind an elderly couple checking in, and Pansy doesn't even look at Ginny the whole time. Ginny tries not to look at her, either. When they get up to the counter, she does the talking. 

"Would it be possible to get a room that has two beds? We aren't together."

"I am sorry," the receptionist says. "We are fully booked, and this hotel has a no-transfiguration policy. We could get you a rolling bed if you are not satisfied?"

Ginny opens her mouth to speak, but Pansy beats her to it. "Oh, that's alright. You're absolutely sure you can't get us another room?" 

"Yes," the receptionist replies. 

"We'll share the bed. It's big enough for two, isn't that right, Weasley?"

It's the first time Pansy has acknowledged her, and all Ginny does is glare. 

"If you are sure," the receptionist says. "Let us know if you need assistance. We are happy to help!"

"Oh, I'll be sure to do that," Pansy says, heading back to the room without another word.

Ginny considers asking the receptionist for the rolling bed, but the urge to confront Pansy immediately is stronger. 

"What the hell was that?" She asks once she's caught up to her in the hallway. 

Pansy shrugs as she stops outside their door. "A hotel rolling bed sounds like a nightmare. I wouldn't want to subject you to such torture."

"You being here is torture enough, but I'm pretty sure sharing a bed with you is worse," Ginny sneers. 

Pansy laughs, actually _laughs_ , and Ginny almost hexes her because of the sheer audacity. "It's a king-sized bed, Weasley. We won't even touch each other. You'll be much more comfortable, and you know I won't murder you in your sleep because it'll be harder to pretend someone broke in."

"Comforting," Ginny deadpans. 

If she were to think about it a little harder, Ginny would question why she's the only one who seems to be bothered by their sleeping arrangement and why Pansy hardly even tried to get it changed. She doesn't want to waste her time _thinking_ , though - this is a holiday. She spends the rest of the day going for a nice walk around the town, getting dinner, making a loose itinerary of what to do for the rest of the week, and blessedly not seeing Pansy once until she returns to the hotel room to find her already asleep.

-

**DAY 2**

Pansy is gone before Ginny wakes up, so sharing the bed is nowhere near as awkward as she'd imagined. 

Since she's in a much warmer climate than she's accustomed to, Ginny feels that it's only natural to spend her first full day in Portofino at the beach. She puts on a bikini in place of actual clothing and Apparates as discreetly as possible to the nearby Paraggi Beach with nothing but a towel, a bottle of sunscreen, and some Italian Muggle currency. 

Lying on the beach is relaxing, even if the sun seems hotter than she'd expected. Ginny loses track of time, maybe even falls asleep at some point. It feels fantastic not to have a single obligation to worry about. 

After a while, her peaceful solitude is interrupted by a familiar voice. Even as she's lying face-down in on her towel, she can tell that it's Pansy, because of course she would find her.

"Weasley, you're almost as red as a lobster already," she says.

Ginny rolls back over to face her. "What are you on about? I'm wearing sunscreen."

Pansy laughs. "You didn't cover your back very well. Honestly, I would think you'd use a sun repellant spell, but I suppose our dismal education never covered that, did it?"

"A sun repellant spell," Ginny repeats. 

"Indeed. I had a… friend, who went to Beauxbatons, where it's a part of the curriculum, and she taught me the spell," Pansy says. Ginny doesn't miss the way she hesitates over the word _friend_ and wonders what the story is there. "I'd use it on you, but you're already burnt, so there's no point."

"Gee, thanks," Ginny rolls her eyes. "What would I ever do without you?"

"Burn, apparently," Pansy says as she begins to walk away. 

Ginny's not sure why Pansy bothered to stop when she thought they'd reached a mutual nonverbal agreement to simply pretend the other doesn't exist, but she supposes it makes sense for Pansy to want to fuck with her. She puts on more sunscreen anyway, and leaves the beach once it starts to burn again. 

-

When she gets back to the hotel, Ginny realizes right away that she's not alone. Pansy is in the shower, and Ginny wonders if she can make an escape before Pansy's done in there.

She doesn't, though, and when Pansy gets out, she doesn't yell at Ginny to leave or anything. Instead, she walks over to a plastic bag by the door that Ginny hadn't noticed before, pulls out a bottle, and throws it onto the bed where Ginny is sitting. 

"What is this?" She picks it up and reads the label: aloe vera. 

"I don't know any sunburn healing spells, and if you didn't even know the sun repellant charm, I figured it's safe to assume you don't either," Pansy responds. Ginny wonders if it's the most civil sentence she's spoken to her so far. "This will help with the burn."

"Oh," Ginny says. She's not quite sure what else to say - did Pansy just do something nice for her? 

"Not sure how you're going to get it on, though," Pansy says, and Ginny thinks she's starting to figure out what the catch is. "Considering that the entire reason your back is burnt in the first place is that you couldn't reach every spot…"

She does have a point. "Did you buy this just to taunt me?"

"Me?" Pansy puts a hand on her chest, faux-affronted, and Ginny is suddenly reminded that Pansy is only wearing a towel. Ginny herself is still in only a bikini, so she's even more exposed. "I would never taunt you, Weasley."

Ginny laughs, despite her best attempt at suppressing it. "Yeah, that was really kind of you, Parkinson. You're the first to ever buy me a medicinal treatment that you knew I wouldn't be able to use. Such a thoughtful and unique gift."

"Don't mention it," Pansy smirks. "You know, if you really wanted to put it on, you could get someone to help you."

"Yeah, because I know so many people in Italy," Ginny snorts. 

Pansy takes a few steps closer, stopping to lean against the table. "Am I invisible to you?"

"You want me to ask _you_ for help?" Ginny asks, disbelieving. She has to be up to something. "You don't even want to be here with me."

"It would be my pleasure to help you, actually," Pansy says, her voice a touch higher than usual. If she didn't know better, Ginny might think she's offended. "All you have to do is ask."

"So that's what this is about," Ginny says, realization coming to her. "You just want me to ask you to help me - swallow my pride or whatever."

Pansy nods, smirking yet again. 

"And if I do ask, you'll just say no?"

"No," Pansy shrugs. "It depends how you word the question. If I think you're sufficiently sincere, then I'll gladly help. If I get the impression that you think I'm going to turn this back on you, I'll say no."

"Oh, great, mind games. What are you, a Legilimens?"

"Most definitely not," Pansy laughs. "Just ask me. Unless you enjoy the pain, but I don't take you for that kind of person."

Ginny most definitely is _not_ that kind of person, as the persistent burning sensation on her back reminds her, so she swallows her pride and tries to sound as pleasant as possible. "Pansy," she begins with her actual name in hopes that it will make her seem more sincere, "would you please help me get this aloe vera onto my sunburn?"

"Why yes, Ginny, I would love to help you out," Pansy says with a smile that has to be fake. 

It occurs to Ginny that she could probably use her wand to spread the stuff, but it's too late now. Pansy has already gotten up and grabbed the bottle out of Ginny's hands, still wearing nothing but a towel. Ginny hopes that Pansy used a spell to keep the towel from falling, but a small part of her also hopes that she didn't. 

Pansy opens the bottle and squeezes some aloe into her palm, rubs her hands together, and brings her hands to Ginny's back. The aloe is cold, and Ginny shivers at the initial contact, but Pansy's hands are gentle, far more than she'd expected. She works the aloe into her sunburn thoroughly, and Ginny feels the burning start to dissipate. She tries not to think about the intimacy of the situation.

"I've got it all," Pansy says, still rubbing it onto Ginny's back for another few seconds before she lets go. Ginny almost shivers again at the loss of contact, but wills herself to act normal. 

"Thanks," she says, barely louder than a whisper. It feels strange to thank someone she's supposed to hate.

Pansy merely nods, returning to the bathroom. Ginny hears the sink turn on and figures she's rinsing the aloe off her hands. By the time she comes back out, she's wearing clothes again, and leaves the hotel without another word. 

Ginny had planned on getting dinner that night, so she goes to a nearby restaurant, orders some delectable pesto gnocchi, and pretends she isn't spending her entire evening flashing back to the feeling of Pansy's hands on her skin. 

-

**DAY 3**

The next morning, Ginny is the first to wake. Pansy is thankfully still on her side of the bed, but it's the first time she's woken up with someone else in her bed for far too long. She finds herself taking in the moment, watching Pansy sleep and committing it to memory. Ginny feels a bit strange doing it, but it's nice to see Pansy look so calm, with none of her natural combativeness. 

She forces herself to get up before staring too long, and is quiet as she gets dressed and prepares to go down to grab breakfast from the hotel lobby. Pansy doesn't wake up, and Ginny is reminded that their situations were reversed yesterday. Did Pansy take a moment to watch her sleep, too? Did she wonder what it would be like to wake up next to Ginny every day?

No, no, of course not. She's just lonely and maybe a little desperate. 

-

Ginny spends the day exploring Portofino's wizarding section, weaving in and out of dozens of interesting shops. She spends a long time in the bookstore, not because she's much of an avid reader, but because she struggles to remember the translation spell that allows her to read the summaries of the books on the shelves. The Quidditch store is a favorite too, of course, and one of the benefits of being in a foreign country is that no one recognizes her. Italians have their own premiere Quidditch league; they do not need the Harpies. 

She spends a long time in the joke store, too, taking notes of some of the products they carry that George doesn't so that she can give them to him when she returns home. 

The café she ends up at for lunch is a bit of a hole in the wall, but the owner of the joke shop swears that it's the best wizarding café in Portofino. The menu looks promising, so Ginny is willing to trust his advice. 

When she sits down at one of the few empty tables in the café, Ginny notices a familiar bobbed silhouette out of the corner of her eye. She turns around, and sure enough, Pansy is sitting at the table next to hers. 

Pansy looks up, noticing Ginny's eyes on her, and looks right back without saying a word. It's Ginny who looks away first, and by the time she dares to look again, Pansy has looked away and is back to eating her food while watching the people passing by through the window. They don't acknowledge each other the entire time. Somehow, Ginny finishes her meal before Pansy gets up despite having been the last to arrive. 

When she does get up to leave, she notices that Pansy gets up as well. Naturally, she's right behind Ginny, so she moves to an empty part of the sidewalk and waits for Pansy to stop too.

"Why are you following me?"

Pansy laughs. "I should be asking you the same question."

"Really?" Ginny rolls her eyes. "You're the one quite literally following me down the sidewalk."

"I happened to be heading toward the gift shop," Pansy says, widening her eyes a little. She looks so innocent that Ginny almost believes her.

"Yeah, sure, just like how you just-so-happened to be on the same part of the beach as me yesterday," Ginny scoffs.

"Well," Pansy says, pausing for dramatic effect. "If the universe keeps forcing us together, then perhaps it means we're meant to carry out this holiday together."

"You're absurd," Ginny says.

Pansy shrugs. "Maybe. But it's more fun to travel with an enemy than alone, right?"

 _You sure didn't act like we were enemies yesterday_ , Ginny wants to say.

"That makes no fucking sense," she says instead. "Some people like alone time, you know." She doesn't mention that she's not typically one of them - isn't sure she'd have survived growing up with six siblings if she were, though she does find it nice from time to time. 

"Whatever," Pansy shrugs. 

Ginny walks away, and Pansy lets her, but she's not surprised to see Pansy in the clothing store five minutes later. She doesn't even bother to call her out on the blatant lie.

-

They eventually make it to the gift shop Pansy had allegedly wanted to go to, and it's not until then that Ginny talks to her. 

"If you wanted to spend time with me so badly, you could have just asked," Ginny says. 

Pansy blushes a little, caught off guard for the first time that Ginny's seen. "I did," she insists.

Ginny waves a hand. "Claiming that the universe wants us to travel together and actually expressing an interest in spending time with me are two different things."

"Fine," Pansy says, not bothering to argue the point any further. "In that case, I'd like to get dinner with you so that we can discuss how you're very obviously using my own tactics against me."

"Sounds wonderful," Ginny says. She intends for it to be sarcastic, but she's not sure whether she really means it. 

-

This time, they sit at the same table and make conversation like reasonable people rather than pretending they don't know each other. It's surprisingly pleasant, and Ginny finds that Pansy is a great conversationalist when she isn't trying to one-up someone. They catch up on life, and Pansy tells Ginny all about the drama at her otherwise boring Ministry job. It feels just as natural as talking to Hermione. 

For the first time, they go to bed at the same time that night. It seems that they're no longer pretending not to be sharing a bed, either. Ginny wonders if they're done pretending to hate each other, too, and it's the first time she acknowledges that maybe she really doesn't hate Pansy. Not even a little. 

She's quite sure Pansy doesn't hate her, either. 

-

**DAY 4**

Ginny doesn't actually expect anything to change the next day, but it does. 

Pansy is the first to wake up, and by the time Ginny wakes up, she's still there. She's already dressed - had probably been about to leave - but she acknowledges Ginny even when she doesn't have to.

"Any plans for today?"

For a moment, Ginny wonders if she's still dreaming, but she knows she's not. "Yeah, actually," she says, still a little wary. One night of good conversation doesn't mean things have actually changed, does it? "I was going to check out this Muggle museum; it's an old castle."

Pansy nods. "Okay. I'll go with you, then."

"You will?" Ginny can't hide her surprise this time. "Did you not have any plans of your own?" She asks, trying to be more polite. Maybe she and Pansy are the type of people who are polite to each other now. 

"I thought about going to the beach again," Pansy says. "When in Rome - though, of course, this isn't Rome. But I understand that you probably don't want to aggravate your sunburn." She grins, and Ginny gets the distinct impression that Pansy is fucking with her again, only this time, it seems less hostile. "I won't be able to stalk you if we're in two separate places."

"Oh, so you admit to stalking me?" Ginny suppresses a laugh, almost positive that Pansy is joking.

"Wow," Pansy shakes her head. "I knew you were a Gryffindor, and we can't expect Gryffindors to be bright, but I thought you'd be different…"

"Shame," Ginny says. "And here I thought we were friends." Are they friends? 

"Don't worry," Pansy grins. "I have plenty of experience with friends who can't take jokes."

-

The castle museum ends up being a lot more fun than it would've been if Ginny had gone alone.

"This column is so drab," Pansy says, pointing at yet another column. "Don't you think it'd look better if we draped it in silver and green?"

Ginny laughs. "Absolutely not." 

Pansy touches her wand in her pocket, making sure Ginny sees, but doesn't pull it out; they're in a Muggle museum. Ginny gets the distinct impression that if this were a wizarding museum, she'd be causing much more chaos. 

The cycle continues throughout their entire tour: Pansy insisting that every feature of the castle is lame, but being overdramatic enough to make it clear that she's joking, and Ginny laughing every single time. She hasn't laughed this much in a while, and it feels great. 

It's still a little strange that she's enjoying spending time with Pansy Parkinson of all people, but the more time she spends with her, the more Pansy the Evil Slytherin turns into Pansy the Hilarious Attractive Friend. Ginny's definitely okay with being just friends, but she's also pretty sure she's okay with a lot more than that. 

Pansy seems pleased that she's been able to make Ginny laugh so much, anyway, so she doesn't even hesitate to have both lunch and dinner with her again that day. And that night, they go so far as to say goodnight before crawling into opposite ends of the same bed. 

It's progress. 

-

**DAY 5**

They're both still in bed together when Ginny wakes up the next morning. At first, she thinks Pansy must still be asleep, but when she glances over at her side of the bed, she finds Pansy's eyes looking back at her.

"Good morning," she says softly. Ginny's pretty sure she's dreaming. Saying goodnight had been one thing, but waking up and exchanging pleasantries with someone she'd considered an enemy just days ago is entirely different. It's probably the sleep-fogged brain. 

"Morning," Ginny says back, a beat later than would be considered normal, but it's too early for her to care. 

They don't speak too much, and Ginny admittedly doesn't make much of an effort. She's only focused on waking up properly now that she's sure this isn't a dream. 

Pansy bringing her breakfast from the lobby back to the room is something she's not sure her dreams could have ever conjured, anyway. 

-

They spend much of the day on a boat tour of the Riviera. It had been Pansy's suggestion, though Ginny had already had it on her itinerary for the day. If they hadn't started to tolerate each other, they would've ended up on the same tour today anyway, Ginny realizes. She thinks back to what Pansy said about the universe wanting the two of them to spend time together and wonders, not for the first time, whether there's any truth to it. 

After all, Luna did set them up. If anyone has a more active connection to the mystical powers of the universe, it's Luna. 

"We've seen so many amazing views of the water," Pansy had reasoned as they walked toward the docks. Ginny didn't need to be convinced, but she's accepted that she enjoys listening to Pansy speak. "From the castle, from the hotel, from the streets… but surely, the best view lies on the water itself."

Ginny had agreed then, but now that she's actually on the boat looking out at the glistening crystal-clear water, she wonders why they didn't do this sooner. 

Then again, she realizes, if they had done this sooner, they would've wasted the time bickering. It's more fun now that they're getting along, even if Pansy is a fun person to verbally spar with. 

"It's beautiful," she says, and Pansy smiles. 

"Now _this_ is why I entered that drawing," she says. 

Ginny is glad she did, she realizes, but then she starts to think about the source of their holiday.

"Wait a second," she begins. "Do you actually read The Quibbler? Or did someone else show you the ad?"

Pansy laughs. "Is it that hard to believe I'd read a magazine in my spare time?"

"The Quibbler isn't just any magazine," Ginny says. 

"I find it interesting," Pansy admits. "That's not to say I believe in a lot of it, but it's an entertaining read. Lovegood's a great researcher, too."

"I'll have to tell her a former Slytherin complimented her; she'll never believe it," Ginny remarks. 

Pansy looks out at the water for a moment, silent. Ginny wonders if she shouldn't have said that, but Pansy speaks again before she can think of an apology. 

"Even though we're out of school, I wouldn't use the term' former Slytherin'," she says. "For you and the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, yeah, maybe you're former students. But those of us who were Slytherins back then - well, you know how it was. It was us versus everyone else, and that will follow us for the rest of our lives. Even those of us who were on your side all along."

"Were you?" Ginny asks. 

Pansy shakes her head. "No, but I was a stupid kid. All of us were, but some at least managed to question what they'd been raised to believe a lot sooner than the rest of us. Did you know some of the Slytherins came back to fight at Hogwarts? I've never seen it mentioned in any of the write-ups."

"I didn't know that," Ginny admits. "I - we never saw any of them, at least I don't think we did."

"I've always wished I'd gone, just a little," Pansy continues. "But then I wonder - what would've happened to me? Would I have survived?"

"There's no way to know," Ginny says. "But if it means you're alive, I'm glad you didn't go." She resolutely does not think about whether Fred might have fared differently if he'd been a Slytherin. 

Pansy laughs and says, "So am I, at least when I'm using my brain."

The conversation grows lighter as the boat continues to sail across the water. Ginny starts to wonder what will become of them when this holiday is over. She'd like to think they'll continue to talk, but more than that, she wants Pansy. She wants to kiss her, take her on a date, make love, confide all her deepest secrets - everything. 

Maybe she's been feeling that for a few days, maybe even longer to a lesser extent, but Ginny is sure of it now. 

-

**DAY 6**

Ginny's revelation doesn't change anything about sharing a bed with Pansy, at least not physically. They still stay as far apart as possible, with plenty of space separating them. Waking up next to her makes Ginny wonder once again what it would be like to do this every day.

"We're going back to the beach today, right?" Pansy asks, voice slightly slurred from having just woken up. She's looking right at Ginny, and she hopes she isn't blushing from the attention.

She pushes down her thoughts of leaning over to kiss Pansy before responding. "Definitely."

-

It turns out that agreeing to go to the beach with a beautiful woman who Ginny kind of seriously has a crush on is not the best idea. As much as she enjoys the view of Pansy in a bikini, Ginny is starting to wish Luna had sent them on a ski trip to the Alps. It would've been much easier to avoid staring. 

She doesn't want to burn again, so Pansy volunteers to use the sun repellant charm on her. It's not as intimate as putting aloe on her sunburn, but Ginny isn't desperate enough for her touch to go out and intentionally get a sunburn. 

"Last time we were here, did you just lie on the sand the whole time?" Pansy asks.

"Yeah," Ginny shrugs. "What, is that too pedestrian for your tastes?"

Pansy laughs. "Something like that. I am going to go swimming, and if I were you, I'd join me."

She could say no, spend some time lying in the sand by herself and getting her head together. It would be for the best, probably. 

"I'd love to," she says instead. 

The water is cool, but it feels refreshing. Ginny doesn't even remember the last time she went swimming. It's not an activity she often does, but every time she goes for a swim, she wonders why she doesn't do it more regularly. Pansy seems to be a natural at it, swimming deeper into the water without even needing to stop to adjust to the temperature as Ginny is doing. 

"You spend a lot of time swimming?" Ginny asks.

"Sometimes," Pansy calls back as she continues to swim away. 

Ginny's still a bit cold with the water only covering her ankles, but she plunges in and swims after Pansy anyway. By the time she catches up, Pansy has stopped in water deep enough that Ginny can't reach the bottom. 

"Looks like you can swim after all," Pansy smirks. "With how much you lagged behind, I had my doubts."

"The water was cold!"

"And you're from Britain," she laughs.

Ginny doesn't have an argument for that, so she splashes Pansy.

"Fuck!" Pansy yelps. "Okay, fine, maybe it's a little cold." She splashes Ginny back, and Ginny flinches at the sudden rush of cold over her face. She splashes Pansy again without a word, and it turns into an all-out battle within seconds. 

By the time they stop, Ginny's hair is completely soaked, and she can tell that Pansy's is too. 

"I totally won that," Pansy says after a moment. 

"You did not!" Ginny insists. "You're the one who stopped."

"Exactly; since I stopped it, I'm the winner," Pansy insists. 

Ginny laughs. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

"I'm glad we aren't pretending to hate each other anymore," Pansy says. "It's much more fun to have a splash war with a friend than a sworn enemy."

"What makes you think I was pretending?" Ginny smirks. "How are you so sure those splashes weren't meant to drown you?"

Pansy rolls her eyes, but she's smiling, so Ginny knows it's all for show. "You'd make a terrible murderer, darling. Splashes won't kill anyone."

Ginny almost doesn't dare to ask. "Darling?"

Pansy's eyes widen, and Ginny gets the impression that she must not have meant to say that. She regains composure remarkably quickly, though. "Well, if you're into it…" 

She swims closer to Ginny, and she realizes what's about to happen right as Pansy gets close enough to reach. Ginny looks at her, nodding, and Pansy swims forward and kisses her. It only lasts for an instant, since they have to stay afloat, but Ginny feels the desire she'd been trying to suppress come bursting out in full force. She wants to kiss Pansy again before she's even caught her breath, but she knows that they'll have to go back to land before they can really get to work. 

They don't waste any time in swimming back to shore, and once they've made it back to their towels, Ginny kisses Pansy again. She doesn't care if anyone on the beach is watching, and Pansy doesn't seem to either considering that she moves her hand lower on Ginny's back and deepens the kiss. 

"Maybe we should go back to the hotel room," Pansy says after they break apart again. 

"Yes," Ginny replies in an instant. She grabs Pansy's hand. Together, they walk to the beach entrance where they can safely Apparate away without any Muggles seeing. 

They don't leave the hotel room again until dinner, and that night, they fall asleep tangled together. 

-

**DAY 7**

Waking up to Pansy beside her was awkward at first and tantalizing soon after that, but waking up this morning with Pansy's head on her shoulder and her body pressed against Ginny's is something entirely different and far better. They stay in bed longer that day than either of them has in the past week, and Ginny doesn't want it to end. 

It's Pansy who gets out of bed first, and just like the other day, she brings breakfast back to the room for the two of them. They sit at the table and eat together in comfortable silence. As she begins to wake up, Ginny wonders if this is the last day she's going to see Pansy. They'd had a great time yesterday, but was it just a one-time thing?

As if voicing Ginny's thoughts, Pansy is the first to speak. "What do you want out of this? You and me, I mean."

It's simple, straightforward. Ginny isn't completely sure she knows how to answer, but she knows enough. "I want to see you again after this holiday. Not just once, either."

Pansy nods. "Okay, good. Do you want to stay the night at my flat when we get back tonight?"

"Oh, absolutely," Ginny grins. "I would love that." She still isn't entirely sure if they're on the same page, though, so she asks, "Is this just sex or are there - er, feelings?"

"I'm not really one for relationships without feelings," Pansy shrugs. "I like you. A lot more than I thought I would, actually. I assumed you'd be just a hot version of your brother - Ron, that is, but you're so much more, and I'd love to get to know you better if you want that."

"I do," Ginny says without even thinking. "I've only just started to think about it, but - I do. I thought you'd be insufferable, and - well, you kind of are, but in a charming and fun way."

"Oh, sure," Pansy laughs. "We'll figure this out."

"We will," Ginny agrees. From there, the conversation shifts to figuring out how to divide the rest of their day between the beach, the wizarding shops, and making out. She doesn't know where their relationship is headed, but she knows that with Pansy by her side, it's bound to be exciting.

**Author's Note:**

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